Online Removal Guide

At the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, we know how traumatic and distressing it can be to find your intimate images online when you didn’t consent to them being shared. We worked with all of the major social media and tech companies to come up with the following document to provide you with a list of how to report this violation on all of their platforms.

On Drive, Google+, and YouTube, sharing sexually explicit content is generally disallowed. On Blogger, nonconsensual porn that is reported will be removed. On Google Play, users can flag inappropriate apps.

In search results, the best option is to request removal under Google’s personal information policy. Google may globally remove links to pages where nude or sexually explicit content has been posted without the subject’s consent upon request. In addition, content will be removed if its inclusion in results violates local law. So, material that violates your copyright can be removed. If you’re in Europe, certain URLs that come up in search results for a query of your name can also be requested for local removal.

Remember: Even if Google deletes URLs from search results, the material could still be on the hosting webpage.

Microsoft

On OneDrive, Xbox, and other consumer services where content can be published, Microsoft will remove nonconsensual porn that is reported.

In search results, Bing may remove, upon request, links to pages where nude or sexually explicit content has been posted without the subject’s consent. In addition users may have other legal rights, for example if copyright is violated or they are in Europe.

Remember that if Bing deletes URLs from search results, the material could still be on the hosting webpage.

“Get help from someone you trust” — Opens message box with drafted message “Hi, I don’t want this photo on Facebook and I’m not sure how to handle this situation. Can you help?” and attaches blurred out version of image and who posted it.

When you report something, your information isn’t shared with the person whose post or profile you’re reporting. Keep in mind that the number of times something is reported doesn’t affect whether it’s removed from Instagram.

If you don’t have an Instagram account, you can report someone using this form. If you’re trying to report a post or profile you can’t see, ask a friend who can see the content to report it.

* You can also file a report that someone has posted your private information by going to this page.

What happens when I report a Tweet?

The user who posted the content will receive notification that he or she has violated the Twitter rules.

This user will not see the name or any information about the person who filed the report against him or her.

Reported Tweets and notifications will disappear from your timeline and notifications tab once you refresh the page.

Reporting a violating Tweet or account may not always result in an account being permanently suspended. In some instances, an account may first be temporarily locked. The offending content will be hidden from view and the user must delete it if he or she wishes to remain on Twitter’s platform.

Visit this page to learn more about reporting a Direct Message or conversation. Please note that once you report a DM or conversation, it will be deleted from your Messages inbox.

What’s the difference between reporting a user and reporting a Tweet?

If an entire account is dedicated to posting unauthorized images of you or if your unauthorized image is an account’s background picture or avatar, then you should report the entire user account. If there is one specific tweet that contains your unauthorized image and/or other abusive content, then you should report at the individual Tweet level.

* A note about this: Tumblr needs proof of your identity to move forward. Don’t be alarmed when they request your photo ID or a photo of you holding a sign to prove that you’re the one filing the report. They have implemented strong security measures to keep this material private.

Yahoo

Yahoo deeply respects the privacy of our users and takes matters of abuse seriously. We are committed to providing an enjoyable and harassment-free experience on our network, and as part of that commitment, nonconsensual pornography is not tolerated. If confronted with a potential abuse concern, Yahoo provides mechanisms to report matters to our attention. Upon receipt, we are committed to investigating to take appropriate action.

Note: Sometimes, our teams may need to verify that you’re the person involved to investigate fully. As part of this, they may ask for a legible copy of your photo ID (passport, driver’s license, or state issued ID). Rest assured we have measures in place to protect your information.

Flickr

Visit the Flickr website on your computer.

At the bottom of the page that contains the photo or video, click Report Abuse.

Select Intimate content posted without my consent.

Enter your email address.

In the “What’s the problem?” field, let us know that you appear in an intimate image or video without your consent and any additional details that may assist in our investigation.

Enter the word “flickr” in the security field.

Click Send.

Groups

From the content, click on the downward facing arrow

Click on the Flag icon

A menu opens, showing your default email address

In the “Reason” field, provide the following:

A detailed description of the concern (Noting you appear in an intimate image without your consent)

Any additional information or alternate contact details

Next to “Report to” select Yahoo

Click Report

Answers

Mouse over the content and click on the Flag icon

Select I think this question violates the Terms of Service

In “Additional Details” provide the following:

A detailed description of the concern (Noting you appear in an intimate image without your consent)

Any additional information or alternate contact details

Click Report Abuse

Mail

(Note: Yahoo is only able to investigate instances where a Yahoo user appears to be the sending party in the email exchange)

Mouse over the Settings menu icon then select Contact Us

Select Abuse and Spam > Received Threats and Harassment > and then Email

In “Detailed Description of Issue” provide the following:

A detailed description of the concern (Noting you appear in an intimate image without your consent)

Google

Before requesting that a link to an offending photo(s)/video(s) of you in search results be removed by Google, consider the following:

Content will be removed* if

It depicts nudity or is otherwise sexually explicit, and

You certify that you appear in the content and have not previously consented to its distribution.

or if

Its inclusion in search results violates your copyright.

or if

You are in Europe and certain URLs that come up in search results for a query of your name are in breach of European privacy law.

* Note: Remember that even if Google deletes specific URLs from search result pages, the webpage hosting the content still exists. Google offers specific information on helping users understand how to contact a site’s webmaster in order to ask that content be removed from a website. This site also offers information on finding webmaster contact information via Whois. Removal of the content from the source is the only way to actually get the content removed from the web.

When prompted for what you would like to remove, select A picture of myself.

For the form, you will need to provide the some contact information, along with the URL(s) you would like removed, a URL of a Search results page linking to the requested URL(s), and one or more screenshots to help identify the content and verify it is still live when Google reviews the request.

* Note: Google suggests that you first contact the hosting website’s webmaster if possible to request removal of the content at the source.

Select Yes, I am the copyright owner or am authorized to act on the copyright owner’s behalf.

Select Image/Video.

Select Yes.

Read through the information about copyright ownership and if you still believe you are the copyright owner, follow the link to the reporting form and complete it to the best of your knowledge.

* Note: If you need to register for the copyright to your photo(s)/video(s), visit copyright.gov and click on Register a Copyright. Then follow the instructions.

3. If you are in Europe, visit this link to make a local search removal request under the data protection law in Europe. Fill out the form to the best of your knowledge.

Drive

Follow these steps to report abuse on a file or Google document:

Open the file.

Click on the Help menu.

Select Report abuse/copyright.

Select Nudity.

Click Submit Abuse Report.

Blogger

Visit this link and complete the information in the form provided to report that someone has posted nude or sexually explicit images of you without your consent. Then click Submit.

Other Products

On YouTube, Google+, and Google Play, you can flag videos, comments, posts, and apps as possible policy violations. Depending on what kind of device you have, you’ll see an icon (e.g., , , or ). Click it and click Report Abuse. If prompted, select the appropriate abuse type, usually “Nudity” or “Pornography.” More detailed instructions can be found at the following links:

Microsoft

Bing Search Results

There are two ways to get nonconsensual pornography removed from Bing search results. In all cases, you can use our nonconsensual pornography takedown form. Additionally, if a website owner has already taken down the content, and the page is still showing in Bing results, you can use our content removal tool to ask Bing to update our view of the web. More information on how to use the content removal tool for this scenario is below.

Note: You do not need to provide any optional information.

Content Removal Tool Instructions

There are two cases where you may use this:

Page is no longer available, but still shows up in Bing search results.

Random Quote

“An arrow can be shot only by pulling it backward. So when life is dragging you back with difficulties, it means that it’s going to launch you into something great.”

— Author Unknown

Sign up for CCRI News

News and updates from CCRI!

Email Address*

First Name

Last Name

* = required field

What is ‘Revenge Porn’?

The term 'revenge porn,' though frequently used, is somewhat misleading. Many perpetrators are not motivated by revenge or by any personal feelings toward the victim. A more accurate term is nonconsensual pornography (NCP), defined as the distribution of sexually graphic images of individuals without their consent.